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Thursday, April 06, 2006

What's in a Name, by Ellen Wittlinger

In ten chapters, ten different kids tell a story, with one of them picking up where the last one left off. The story itself concerns a small town that is holding a vote to decide whether to change its name, but there are plenty of subplots about who likes who and a boy coming out of the closet. The plot, however, is not really the point -- the fun lies mostly in seeing how different perspectives make a story very different.

Of course, stories told from different points of view have been done many times before. It's a clever device, but since the story itself is not terribly overwealming, this isn't going to captivate you a lot. Moreover, it's a bit distracting to just start getting into a character and then suddenly have their turn be over.

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About Me

Would You Like Me To Review Your Book?

I review books written for teens. My primary interests are interpersonal relations and coming of age stories (which overwhelmingly are targeted at teenage girls for whatever reason!). I look for originality, readability, humor, and poignancy. I have a soft spot for a book that makes me cry.